美国语文第五册 第265期:人类与动物(3)

 　　The third distinction is that animals make no improvements; 人类与动物的第三点差异在于：动物本身绝不存在任何改进或进步；

　　while the knowledge, and skill, and the success of man are perpetually on the increase. 而人类知识、技能以及成功终将不断地推进自己完善。

　　Animals, in all their operations, follow the first impulse of nature or that instinct which God has implanted in them. 大凡动物的行为举止，不过遵循生物的最初欲望或上帝嵌入生物的不同本能需求。

　　In all they do undertake, therefore, their works are more perfect and regular than those of man. 因此，不管它们从事任何事情，其结果总会比人类所做的更为有序完美。

　　But man, having been endowed with the faculty¹ of thinking or reasoning about what he does, 然而，由于其行为举止被赋予思考与推理的能力,

　　is enabled by patience and industry to correct the mistakes into which he at first falls, and to go on constantly improving. 人类通过耐心勤奋可以纠正最初错误，并且不断地加以调整。

　　A bird's nest is, indeed, a perfect structure; 的确，一只鸟窝构造完美，

　　yet the nest of a swallow of the nineteenth century is not at all more commodious² or elegant than those that were built amid the rafters of Noah's ark. 但十九世纪燕子的巢穴完全不会比用椽木建造的诺亚方舟更为舒适漂亮。

　　But if we compare the wigwam of the savage⁴ with the temples and palaces of ancient Greece and Rome, 不过，当我们将原始人窝棚与古希腊或古罗马的庙宇宫殿进行比较，

　　we then shall see to what man's mistakes, rectified⁵ and improved upon, conduct him. 我们不难看出，一个持续绵延的纠偏改进过程，引导人类走向完美。

　　When the vast sun shall veil his golden light 当庞大太阳收敛金色阳光，

　　Deep in the gloom of everlasting⁶ night; 世界进入永恒无边的黑夜，

　　When wild, destructive flames shall wrap the skies, 毁灭火焰呼啸着卷过天空，

　　When ruin triumphs, and when nature dies; 到处在坍塌，自然走向濒亡，

　　Man shall alone the wreck⁷ of worlds survive; 目睹无数星体纷纷坠落消逝，

　　'Mid³ falling spheres, immortal⁸ man shall live. 人类在宇宙残骸中孤独伫立。

1 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

2 commodious   

adj.宽敞的；使用方便的

参考例句：

• It was a commodious and a diverting life.这是一种自由自在，令人赏心悦目的生活。
• Their habitation was not merely respectable and commodious,but even dignified and imposing.他们的居所既宽敞舒适又尊严气派。

3 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

4 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

5 rectified   

[医]矫正的，调整的

参考例句：

• I am hopeful this misunderstanding will be rectified very quickly. 我相信这个误会将很快得到纠正。
• That mistake could have been rectified within 28 days. 那个错误原本可以在28天内得以纠正。

6 everlasting   

adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的

参考例句：

• These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
• He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

7 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

8 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！